MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) —The Alabama Supreme Court earlier this&nbsp; month<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-supreme-court-from-embryos-161390f0758b04a7638e2ddea20df7ca" target="_blank">&nbsp;ruled</a>&nbsp;that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law, raising concerns about how the decision could affect in vitro fertilization, commonly known as IVF.

<a href="https://publicportal-api.alappeals.gov/courts/68f021c4-6a44-4735-9a76-5360b2e8af13/cms/case/343d203a-b13d-463a-8176-c46e3ae4f695/docketentrydocuments/e3d95592-3cbe-4384-afa6-063d4595aa1d">Click here to read</a> the ruling

The decision issued in wrongful death cases brought by couples who had frozen embryos destroyed in an accident could potentially leave clinics vulnerable to lawsuits and restrict access to treatment.

The most immediate impact of the ruling was to leave&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-frozen-embryos-ruling-ivf-pause-3ea72dd4494cad3f65c57e751e4c5c3b">in vitro fertilization clinics in Alabama</a>&nbsp;potentially vulnerable to more lawsuits and reluctant to administer treatment

On Wednesday, the University of Alabama Birmingham hospital&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-frozen-embryos-pause-4cf5d3139e1a6cbc62bc5ad9946cc1b8" target="_blank">paused IVF treatments</a>&nbsp;while it considers the ruling’s significance.

On Thursday, Alabama Fertility Services said in a statement that it has “made the impossibly difficult decision to hold new IVF treatments due to the legal risk to our clinic and our embryologists.” The Center for Reproductive Medicine at Mobile Infirmary also decided to pause IVF treatment because of the ruling.

Here’s what to know about this increasingly common fertility treatment.

In vitro fertilization offers a possible solution when a woman has trouble getting pregnant. It involves retrieving her eggs and combining them in a lab dish with a man’s sperm to create a fertilized embryo, which is then transferred into the woman’s uterus in an attempt to create a pregnancy.

IVF is done in cycles and may take more than one to create a successful pregnancy, according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The procedure can use a couple’s eggs and sperm or those from a donor.

The treatment often uses hormones to trigger ovulation so multiple eggs are produced and a needle is used to remove them from the ovaries, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said.

Eggs can be fertilized by adding the sperm to the eggs in a lab, or a single sperm can be injected into each egg.

“We culture that fertilized egg over a period of time — usually five to six days —- to create developmental stages called the blastocyst. And those are either transferred or stored for future use,” said Dr. Jason Griffith, a reproductive endocrinologist in Houston.

A blastocyst is the early stage of an embryo, which is defined as the state of development that starts at fertilization and lasts up to eight weeks.

Griffith said that on Day 3 after fertilization, an embryo is anywhere from six to 10 cells. By Day 6, it’s between 100 and 300 cells.

“So you’re talking about something that’s still microscopic,” he said, adding that a person contains more than a trillion cells.

The freezing process involves replacing the water in embryo cells with a protectant fluid and flash freezing with liquid nitrogen, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Frozen embryos can be used for future pregnancies, and the vast majority survive the thawing process.

Frozen embryos are stored in tanks containing liquid nitrogen at hospital labs or reproductive medicine centers. Griffith said they can also be kept in storage facilities that health care facilities contract with, especially when they are stored for many years. Frozen embryos can be safely preserved for a decade or more.

Griffith said conditions are monitored in these facilities and there are physical security mechanisms to safeguard the tanks and backup generators in case of power outages.

Dr. John Storment, a reproductive endocrinologist in Lafayette, Louisiana, said his state has a unique law that prohibits doctors from discarding any viable embryos that are still dividing — meaning they must be preserved and stored. So he and other doctors ship embryos out of state to a secure storage facility once a patient has finished using them for a particular IVF cycle.

“Whenever they’re ready for embryos again, they can just ship them back here,” he said. “But we don’t keep them stored here.”

In other states, he said, patients can choose to use them, discard them or donate them to other couples or for research.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0" target="_blank">overturn Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;in 2022 sparked speculation about how the ruling could lead to problems with fertility care, said Greer Donley, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

“This is one of the first places that is proving that,” she said.

Donley expects that IVF will remain available in Alabama but embryos will not be stored there. And moving them to other states for storage will increase the cost, logistical challenges and risk associated with the procedures.

“This opens up the possibility of using the child welfare laws more holistically for criminalizing doing anything that could harm the embryo,” Donley said.

Donley said that push could continue: “The future the anti-abortion movement wants to see is one in which fetuses have federal constitutional protections from the moment of conception.”

Since 2022, four states have amended their constitutions to protect access to abortion, and several others are considering ballot measures for this year. In many, the language goes beyond allowing abortion to give people rights to reproductive freedom more broadly, which could ensure access to IVF.

Doctors outside of Alabama are worried about possible national implications of the recent court decision.

It could “substantially restrict access to a very vital fertility treatment that has helped countless folks today expand their families,” Griffith said. “When you look at the percentage of pregnancies in the United States that result from in vitro fertilization, it’s around 2%.”

It could also increase the cost of IVF for many families — although it’s unclear by how much — because of things like additional storage fees and liability costs, he said. One cycle of IVF, including all embryos transferred, now costs about $15,000 to $25,000, Griffith said.

Another possible ramification is that there will be fewer IVF providers, he said.

“We’ve got to safeguard access to this very valuable treatment,” Griffith said.

Storment agreed that the Alabama decision could have a ripple effect across the entire country.

“It’s one of the bigger things to happen in reproductive law in the last decade,” he said.

Some pro-life activists rejoiced at the ruling.

It’s “a tremendous victory for life,” said the powerful Christian legal firm Alliance Defending Freedom. “A beautiful defense of life," said Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council.

The Liberty Counsel filed a notice with the Florida Supreme Court, saying the Alabama decision — including Parker's concurrence — should be factored into a pending decision about a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would protect abortion rights.

“Unborn life must be protected at every stage,” Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel's chairman, said in a statement.

Still, Christian perspectives on IVF are mixed, and in some cases, undecided.

While the Catholic Church condemns such reproductive technology as immoral, many Protestant churches and denominations do not have a firm stance against the practice.

<a href="https://www.iwv.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/executive-summary-KAConsulting-poll-contraception.pdf">Kellyanne Conway,</a>&nbsp;the political consultant who worked for former President Donald Trump, lobbied GOP lawmakers in December to advocate for contraception and fertility treatments. She cited her firm’s finding that even anti-abortion evangelicals overwhelmingly support access to IVF.

On Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ivf-abortion-alabama-republicans-8215336740a5963b57bbd970b47bb3a7">Trump shared</a>&nbsp;his strong support for IVF in a post on his Truth Social network and called on Alabama lawmakers to protect access to the procedure.

Because religious groups have different opinions about when life begins, “it’s quite problematic to see a judge essentially embedding a Christian view into state law,” said Greer Donley, an associate professor of law at the University of Pittsburgh who specializes in bioethics and health.

She said that other judges might increasingly apply religious thinking to their decisions.

“It’s particularly notable that (Parker) is not trying to hide that, but even if judges were careful in their language, the result is essentially the same,” Donley said.

Laser, of Americans United, said that even the Alabama court's majority decision — which does not explicitly reference religion — is problematic; it states that all participants in the case “agree that an unborn child is a genetically unique human being whose life begins at fertilization and ends at death.”

“That is not taking into account everyone this policy is going to be imposed upon, including religious minorities, the nonreligious, Christians who have a different belief system,” Laser said. “It undermines true religious freedom.”

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) —The Alabama Supreme Court earlier this&nbsp; month<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-supreme-court-from-embryos-161390f0758b04a7638e2ddea20df7ca" target="_blank">&nbsp;ruled</a>&nbsp;that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law, raising concerns about how the decision could affect in vitro fertilization, commonly known as IVF.<a href="https://publicportal-api.alappeals.gov/courts/68f021c4-6a44-4735-9a76-5360b2e8af13/cms/case/343d203a-b13d-463a-8176-c46e3ae4f695/docketentrydocuments/e3d95592-3cbe-4384-afa6-063d4595aa1d">Click here to read</a> the rulingThe decision issued in wrongful death cases brought by couples who had frozen embryos destroyed in an accident could potentially leave clinics vulnerable to lawsuits and restrict access to treatment.The most immediate impact of the ruling was to leave&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-frozen-embryos-ruling-ivf-pause-3ea72dd4494cad3f65c57e751e4c5c3b">in vitro fertilization clinics in Alabama</a>&nbsp;potentially vulnerable to more lawsuits and reluctant to administer treatmentOn Wednesday, the University of Alabama Birmingham hospital&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-frozen-embryos-pause-4cf5d3139e1a6cbc62bc5ad9946cc1b8" target="_blank">paused IVF treatments</a>&nbsp;while it considers the ruling’s significance.On Thursday, Alabama Fertility Services said in a statement that it has “made the impossibly difficult decision to hold new IVF treatments due to the legal risk to our clinic and our embryologists.” The Center for Reproductive Medicine at Mobile Infirmary also decided to pause IVF treatment because of the ruling.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708622911694.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Here’s what to know about this increasingly common fertility treatment.<h2>WHAT IS IVF?</h2>In vitro fertilization offers a possible solution when a woman has trouble getting pregnant. It involves retrieving her eggs and combining them in a lab dish with a man’s sperm to create a fertilized embryo, which is then transferred into the woman’s uterus in an attempt to create a pregnancy.IVF is done in cycles and may take more than one to create a successful pregnancy, according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The procedure can use a couple’s eggs and sperm or those from a donor.<h2>HOW ARE EMBRYOS MADE?</h2>The treatment often uses hormones to trigger ovulation so multiple eggs are produced and a needle is used to remove them from the ovaries, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said.Eggs can be fertilized by adding the sperm to the eggs in a lab, or a single sperm can be injected into each egg.“We culture that fertilized egg over a period of time — usually five to six days —- to create developmental stages called the blastocyst. And those are either transferred or stored for future use,” said Dr. Jason Griffith, a reproductive endocrinologist in Houston.A blastocyst is the early stage of an embryo, which is defined as the state of development that starts at fertilization and lasts up to eight weeks.Griffith said that on Day 3 after fertilization, an embryo is anywhere from six to 10 cells. By Day 6, it’s between 100 and 300 cells.“So you’re talking about something that’s still microscopic,” he said, adding that a person contains more than a trillion cells.<h2>HOW ARE EMBRYOS FROZEN AND STORED?</h2>The freezing process involves replacing the water in embryo cells with a protectant fluid and flash freezing with liquid nitrogen, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Frozen embryos can be used for future pregnancies, and the vast majority survive the thawing process.Frozen embryos are stored in tanks containing liquid nitrogen at hospital labs or reproductive medicine centers. Griffith said they can also be kept in storage facilities that health care facilities contract with, especially when they are stored for many years. Frozen embryos can be safely preserved for a decade or more.Griffith said conditions are monitored in these facilities and there are physical security mechanisms to safeguard the tanks and backup generators in case of power outages.Dr. John Storment, a reproductive endocrinologist in Lafayette, Louisiana, said his state has a unique law that prohibits doctors from discarding any viable embryos that are still dividing — meaning they must be preserved and stored. So he and other doctors ship embryos out of state to a secure storage facility once a patient has finished using them for a particular IVF cycle.“Whenever they’re ready for embryos again, they can just ship them back here,” he said. “But we don’t keep them stored here.”In other states, he said, patients can choose to use them, discard them or donate them to other couples or for research.<h2>HOW COULD THE ALABAMA RULING AFFECT IVF?</h2>The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0" target="_blank">overturn Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;in 2022 sparked speculation about how the ruling could lead to problems with fertility care, said Greer Donley, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.“This is one of the first places that is proving that,” she said.Donley expects that IVF will remain available in Alabama but embryos will not be stored there. And moving them to other states for storage will increase the cost, logistical challenges and risk associated with the procedures.“This opens up the possibility of using the child welfare laws more holistically for criminalizing doing anything that could harm the embryo,” Donley said.Donley said that push could continue: “The future the anti-abortion movement wants to see is one in which fetuses have federal constitutional protections from the moment of conception.”Since 2022, four states have amended their constitutions to protect access to abortion, and several others are considering ballot measures for this year. In many, the language goes beyond allowing abortion to give people rights to reproductive freedom more broadly, which could ensure access to IVF.<h2>WHAT ARE DOCTORS’ CONCERNS?</h2>Doctors outside of Alabama are worried about possible national implications of the recent court decision.It could “substantially restrict access to a very vital fertility treatment that has helped countless folks today expand their families,” Griffith said. “When you look at the percentage of pregnancies in the United States that result from in vitro fertilization, it’s around 2%.”It could also increase the cost of IVF for many families — although it’s unclear by how much — because of things like additional storage fees and liability costs, he said. One cycle of IVF, including all embryos transferred, now costs about $15,000 to $25,000, Griffith said.Another possible ramification is that there will be fewer IVF providers, he said.“We’ve got to safeguard access to this very valuable treatment,” Griffith said.Storment agreed that the Alabama decision could have a ripple effect across the entire country.“It’s one of the bigger things to happen in reproductive law in the last decade,” he said.‘VICTORY FOR LIFE’Some pro-life activists rejoiced at the ruling.It’s “a tremendous victory for life,” said the powerful Christian legal firm Alliance Defending Freedom. “A beautiful defense of life," said Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council.The Liberty Counsel filed a notice with the Florida Supreme Court, saying the Alabama decision — including Parker's concurrence — should be factored into a pending decision about a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would protect abortion rights.“Unborn life must be protected at every stage,” Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel's chairman, said in a statement.Still, Christian perspectives on IVF are mixed, and in some cases, undecided.While the Catholic Church condemns such reproductive technology as immoral, many Protestant churches and denominations do not have a firm stance against the practice.<a href="https://www.iwv.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/executive-summary-KAConsulting-poll-contraception.pdf">Kellyanne Conway,</a>&nbsp;the political consultant who worked for former President Donald Trump, lobbied GOP lawmakers in December to advocate for contraception and fertility treatments. She cited her firm’s finding that even anti-abortion evangelicals overwhelmingly support access to IVF.On Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ivf-abortion-alabama-republicans-8215336740a5963b57bbd970b47bb3a7">Trump shared</a>&nbsp;his strong support for IVF in a post on his Truth Social network and called on Alabama lawmakers to protect access to the procedure.A SETBACK FOR THE SECULAR STATE?Because religious groups have different opinions about when life begins, “it’s quite problematic to see a judge essentially embedding a Christian view into state law,” said Greer Donley, an associate professor of law at the University of Pittsburgh who specializes in bioethics and health.She said that other judges might increasingly apply religious thinking to their decisions.“It’s particularly notable that (Parker) is not trying to hide that, but even if judges were careful in their language, the result is essentially the same,” Donley said.Laser, of Americans United, said that even the Alabama court's majority decision — which does not explicitly reference religion — is problematic; it states that all participants in the case “agree that an unborn child is a genetically unique human being whose life begins at fertilization and ends at death.”“That is not taking into account everyone this policy is going to be imposed upon, including religious minorities, the nonreligious, Christians who have a different belief system,” Laser said. “It undermines true religious freedom.”<h2>___</h2>

Read the controversial ruling: Judge decides embryos are people

CAIRO (AP) — An attack by Yemeni Houthi rebels on a Belize-flagged ship earlier this month caused an 18-mile oil slick, the U.S. military said Saturday. It also warned of the danger of a spill from the vessel's cargo of fertilizer.

The Rubymar, a British-registered, Lebanese-operated cargo vessel,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-attack-israel-hamas-war-gaza-67cf1acc17f4e17d04075a99688e4da8">was attacked on Feb. 18</a>&nbsp;while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, U.S. Central Command said.

The missile attack forced the crew to abandon the vessel, which had been on its way to Bulgaria after leaving Khorfakkan in the United Arab Emirates. It was transporting more than 41,000 tons of fertilizer, CENTCOM said in a statement.

The vessel suffered significant damage, which led to the slick, said the CENTCOM statement, warning that the ship's cargo “could spill into the Red Sea and worsen this environmental disaster.”

“The Houthis continue to demonstrate disregard for the regional impact of their indiscriminate attacks, threatening the fishing industry, coastal communities, and imports of food supplies,” it said.

The Associated Press, relying on satellite images from Planet Labs PBC of the stricken vessel, reported Tuesday that the vessel was leaking oil in the Red Sea.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government on Saturday called for other countries and maritime-protection organizations to quickly address the oil slick and avert “a significant environmental disaster.

In a statement, the government, which sits in the southern city of Aden, said the vessel is heading toward the Hanish Islands, a Yemeni archipelago in the southern Red Sea.

Separately, CENTCOM said it launched attacks on Houthi-held areas in Yemen on Friday, destroying seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to launch toward the Red Sea.

It described the strikes as “self-defense,” saying that the missiles “presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the U.S. Navy ships in the region.”

CENTCOM didn’t give further details. Houthi-run media, however, reported strikes by the U.S. and the U.K. on the district of Durayhimi in the Red Sea province of Hodeida.

The U.S. military has in recent weeks launched waves of strikes on Houthi-held areas inside Yemen in response to the Houthis’ attacks on shipping routes in the Red Sea.

Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters. They claim to be acting over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel’s war targeting Hamas in the Gaza Strip</a>, however they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for trade among Asia, the Mideast and Europe. The targeted vessels have included at least&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-ship-missile-houthi-rebels-attack-bab-elmandeb-strait-999b911c916f9266c07a6d29cc020e9e">one with cargo for Iran</a>, the Houthis' main benefactor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708739032720.png" alt="Photo by Planet Labs PBC from U.S. Central Command&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Planet Labs PBC from U.S. Central Command&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>CAIRO (AP) — An attack by Yemeni Houthi rebels on a Belize-flagged ship earlier this month caused an 18-mile oil slick, the U.S. military said Saturday. It also warned of the danger of a spill from the vessel's cargo of fertilizer.The Rubymar, a British-registered, Lebanese-operated cargo vessel,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-attack-israel-hamas-war-gaza-67cf1acc17f4e17d04075a99688e4da8">was attacked on Feb. 18</a>&nbsp;while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, U.S. Central Command said.The missile attack forced the crew to abandon the vessel, which had been on its way to Bulgaria after leaving Khorfakkan in the United Arab Emirates. It was transporting more than 41,000 tons of fertilizer, CENTCOM said in a statement.The vessel suffered significant damage, which led to the slick, said the CENTCOM statement, warning that the ship's cargo “could spill into the Red Sea and worsen this environmental disaster.”“The Houthis continue to demonstrate disregard for the regional impact of their indiscriminate attacks, threatening the fishing industry, coastal communities, and imports of food supplies,” it said.The Associated Press, relying on satellite images from Planet Labs PBC of the stricken vessel, reported Tuesday that the vessel was leaking oil in the Red Sea.Yemen’s internationally recognized government on Saturday called for other countries and maritime-protection organizations to quickly address the oil slick and avert “a significant environmental disaster.In a statement, the government, which sits in the southern city of Aden, said the vessel is heading toward the Hanish Islands, a Yemeni archipelago in the southern Red Sea.Separately, CENTCOM said it launched attacks on Houthi-held areas in Yemen on Friday, destroying seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to launch toward the Red Sea.It described the strikes as “self-defense,” saying that the missiles “presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the U.S. Navy ships in the region.”CENTCOM didn’t give further details. Houthi-run media, however, reported strikes by the U.S. and the U.K. on the district of Durayhimi in the Red Sea province of Hodeida.The U.S. military has in recent weeks launched waves of strikes on Houthi-held areas inside Yemen in response to the Houthis’ attacks on shipping routes in the Red Sea.Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters. They claim to be acting over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel’s war targeting Hamas in the Gaza Strip</a>, however they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for trade among Asia, the Mideast and Europe. The targeted vessels have included at least&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-ship-missile-houthi-rebels-attack-bab-elmandeb-strait-999b911c916f9266c07a6d29cc020e9e">one with cargo for Iran</a>, the Houthis' main benefactor.

U.S. monitoring commercial ship damaged in Red Sea attack

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A small and nonthreatening balloon spotted flying high over the mountainous Western United States was intercepted by fighter jets over Utah on Friday, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

NORAD fighter pilots sent Friday morning to investigate the balloon determined it was not maneuverable and did not present a threat to national security, spokesperson John Cornelio said.

There has been heightened interest in reports of balloons flying over the U.S. after the military identified – and eventually shot down — a Chinese spy balloon that crossed much of the country last year. But officials say the balloon intercepted Friday was not sent by a foreign adversary and poses no threat to aviation or U.S. security. NORAD has not revealed where the balloon came from or why it was seen flying over Utah and Colorado.

U.S. officials last year shot down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-montana-north-carolina-302134762e8aeae53314ebd9fdb327e4">the large, white Chinese spy balloon</a>&nbsp;off the coast of South Carolina after a weeklong traverse over the country that the Pentagon said was part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chinese-balloon-military-involvement-e45c759cb00294e83989fa35970935bc">large surveillance program China has been conducting</a>&nbsp;for “several years."&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taiwan-politics-united-states-government-china-antony-blinken-a75ba8d9fa157e5b87318483141b19ca">China responded</a>&nbsp;that it reserved the right to “take further actions” and criticized the U.S. for “an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.”

NORAD is continuing to work in close coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration to track and monitor the balloon detected at an altitude of about 44,000 feet (13,400 meters), Cornelio said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675547938768.png" alt="Image of the spy balloon that flew over Kansas in February 2023 and was shot down over the Atlantic Ocean-photo by meteorologist Robert Whitehurst courtesy WMBF TV" />
 <figcaption>Image of the spy balloon that flew over Kansas in February 2023 and was shot down over the Atlantic Ocean-photo by meteorologist Robert Whitehurst courtesy WMBF TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A small and nonthreatening balloon spotted flying high over the mountainous Western United States was intercepted by fighter jets over Utah on Friday, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command.NORAD fighter pilots sent Friday morning to investigate the balloon determined it was not maneuverable and did not present a threat to national security, spokesperson John Cornelio said.There has been heightened interest in reports of balloons flying over the U.S. after the military identified – and eventually shot down — a Chinese spy balloon that crossed much of the country last year. But officials say the balloon intercepted Friday was not sent by a foreign adversary and poses no threat to aviation or U.S. security. NORAD has not revealed where the balloon came from or why it was seen flying over Utah and Colorado.U.S. officials last year shot down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-montana-north-carolina-302134762e8aeae53314ebd9fdb327e4">the large, white Chinese spy balloon</a>&nbsp;off the coast of South Carolina after a weeklong traverse over the country that the Pentagon said was part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chinese-balloon-military-involvement-e45c759cb00294e83989fa35970935bc">large surveillance program China has been conducting</a>&nbsp;for “several years."&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taiwan-politics-united-states-government-china-antony-blinken-a75ba8d9fa157e5b87318483141b19ca">China responded</a>&nbsp;that it reserved the right to “take further actions” and criticized the U.S. for “an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.”NORAD is continuing to work in close coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration to track and monitor the balloon detected at an altitude of about 44,000 feet (13,400 meters), Cornelio said.

Fighter jets intercept another balloon over western U.S.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A private U.S. lunar lander tipped over at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/moon-landing-private-company-intuitive-machines-9c896bfca61582773d381f4045fd35d7">touchdown</a>&nbsp;and ended up on its side near the moon’s south pole, hampering communications, company officials said Friday.

Intuitive Machines initially believed its six-footed lander, Odysseus, was upright after Thursday's touchdown. But CEO Steve Altemus said Friday the craft “caught a foot in the surface," falling onto its side and, quite possibly, leaning against a rock. He said it was coming in too fast and may have snapped a leg.

“So far, we have quite a bit of operational capability even though we’re tipped over," he told reporters.

But some antennas were pointed toward the surface, limiting flight controllers' ability to get data down, Altemus said. The antennas were stationed high on the 14-foot (4.3-meter) lander to facilitate communications at the hilly, cratered and shadowed south polar region.

Odysseus — the first U.S. lander in more than 50 years — is thought to be within a few miles (kilometers) of its intended landing site near the Malapert A crater, less than 200 miles (300 kilometers) from the south pole. NASA, the main customer, wanted to get as close as possible to the pole to scout out the area before astronauts show up later this decade.

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will attempt to pinpoint the lander's location, as it flies overhead this weekend.

With Thursday’s touchdown, Intuitive Machines became the first private business to pull off a moon landing, a feat previously achieved by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/moon-landing-apollo-209f6097f35331b0cb4a97b982e0274f">only five countries</a>. Japan was the latest country to score a landing, but its lander also ended up on its side last month.

Odysseus' mission was sponsored in large part by NASA, whose experiments were on board. NASA paid $118 million for the delivery under a program meant to jump-start the lunar economy.

One of the NASA experiments was pressed into service when the lander's navigation system did not kick in. Intuitive Machines caught the problem in advance when it tried to use its lasers to improve the lander's orbit. Otherwise, flight controllers would not have discovered the failure until it was too late, just five minutes before touchdown.

“Serendipity is absolutely the right word,” mission director Tim Crain said.

It turns out that a switch was not flipped before flight, preventing the system's activation in space.

Launched last week from Florida, Odysseus took an extra lap around the moon Thursday to allow time for the last-minute switch to NASA's laser system, which saved the day, officials noted.

Another experiment, a cube with four cameras, was supposed to pop off 30 seconds before touchdown to capture pictures of Odysseus’ landing. But Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s EagleCam was deliberately powered off during the final descent because of the navigation switch and stayed attached to the lander.

Embry-Riddle's Troy Henderson said his team will try to release EagleCam in the coming days, so it can photograph the lander from roughly 26 feet (8 meters) away.

"Getting that final picture of the lander on the surface is still an incredibly important task for us,” Henderson told The Associated Press.

Intuitive Machines anticipates just another week of operations on the moon for the solar-powered lander — nine or 10 days at most — before lunar nightfall hits.

The company was the second business to aim for the moon under NASA's commercial lunar services program. Last month, Pittsburgh's Astrobotic Technology gave it a shot, but a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/moon-landing-spacecraft-reenter-burned-e7abeeac01711633eaa807b050704084">fuel leak on the lander</a>&nbsp;cut the mission short and the craft ended up crashing back to Earth.

Until Thursday, the U.S. had not landed on the moon since Apollo 17's Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt closed out NASA's famed moon-landing program in December 1972. NASA's new effort to return astronauts to the moon is named Artemis after Apollo's mythological twin sister. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-moon-landings-artemis-delay-23e425d490c0c9e65ae774ec2e00f090">first Artemis crew landing</a>&nbsp;is planned for 2026 at the earliest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708728179361.png" alt="In this image from video provided by NASA, Steve Altemus, CEO and co-founder of Intuitive Machines, describes how it is believed the company's Odysseus spacecraft landed on the surface of the moon, during a news conference in Houston on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. (NASA via AP)" />
 <figcaption>In this image from video provided by NASA, Steve Altemus, CEO and co-founder of Intuitive Machines, describes how it is believed the company's Odysseus spacecraft landed on the surface of the moon, during a news conference in Houston on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. (NASA via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A private U.S. lunar lander tipped over at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/moon-landing-private-company-intuitive-machines-9c896bfca61582773d381f4045fd35d7">touchdown</a>&nbsp;and ended up on its side near the moon’s south pole, hampering communications, company officials said Friday.Intuitive Machines initially believed its six-footed lander, Odysseus, was upright after Thursday's touchdown. But CEO Steve Altemus said Friday the craft “caught a foot in the surface," falling onto its side and, quite possibly, leaning against a rock. He said it was coming in too fast and may have snapped a leg.“So far, we have quite a bit of operational capability even though we’re tipped over," he told reporters.But some antennas were pointed toward the surface, limiting flight controllers' ability to get data down, Altemus said. The antennas were stationed high on the 14-foot (4.3-meter) lander to facilitate communications at the hilly, cratered and shadowed south polar region.Odysseus — the first U.S. lander in more than 50 years — is thought to be within a few miles (kilometers) of its intended landing site near the Malapert A crater, less than 200 miles (300 kilometers) from the south pole. NASA, the main customer, wanted to get as close as possible to the pole to scout out the area before astronauts show up later this decade.NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will attempt to pinpoint the lander's location, as it flies overhead this weekend.With Thursday’s touchdown, Intuitive Machines became the first private business to pull off a moon landing, a feat previously achieved by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/moon-landing-apollo-209f6097f35331b0cb4a97b982e0274f">only five countries</a>. Japan was the latest country to score a landing, but its lander also ended up on its side last month.Odysseus' mission was sponsored in large part by NASA, whose experiments were on board. NASA paid $118 million for the delivery under a program meant to jump-start the lunar economy.One of the NASA experiments was pressed into service when the lander's navigation system did not kick in. Intuitive Machines caught the problem in advance when it tried to use its lasers to improve the lander's orbit. Otherwise, flight controllers would not have discovered the failure until it was too late, just five minutes before touchdown.“Serendipity is absolutely the right word,” mission director Tim Crain said.It turns out that a switch was not flipped before flight, preventing the system's activation in space.Launched last week from Florida, Odysseus took an extra lap around the moon Thursday to allow time for the last-minute switch to NASA's laser system, which saved the day, officials noted.Another experiment, a cube with four cameras, was supposed to pop off 30 seconds before touchdown to capture pictures of Odysseus’ landing. But Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s EagleCam was deliberately powered off during the final descent because of the navigation switch and stayed attached to the lander.Embry-Riddle's Troy Henderson said his team will try to release EagleCam in the coming days, so it can photograph the lander from roughly 26 feet (8 meters) away."Getting that final picture of the lander on the surface is still an incredibly important task for us,” Henderson told The Associated Press.Intuitive Machines anticipates just another week of operations on the moon for the solar-powered lander — nine or 10 days at most — before lunar nightfall hits.The company was the second business to aim for the moon under NASA's commercial lunar services program. Last month, Pittsburgh's Astrobotic Technology gave it a shot, but a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/moon-landing-spacecraft-reenter-burned-e7abeeac01711633eaa807b050704084">fuel leak on the lander</a>&nbsp;cut the mission short and the craft ended up crashing back to Earth.Until Thursday, the U.S. had not landed on the moon since Apollo 17's Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt closed out NASA's famed moon-landing program in December 1972. NASA's new effort to return astronauts to the moon is named Artemis after Apollo's mythological twin sister. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-moon-landings-artemis-delay-23e425d490c0c9e65ae774ec2e00f090">first Artemis crew landing</a>&nbsp;is planned for 2026 at the earliest.___

Company: US spacecraft on the moon is on its side

Press release by University of Wyoming

LARAMIE, Wyo. (Feb. 22, 2024) - Three members of the University of Wyoming swimming and diving team died in a single-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 287 about 10 miles south of the Wyoming-Colorado border Thursday afternoon.

The university is not releasing their names until next of kin are notified.

Two other members of the men's swimming and diving team were injured in the crash. Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

The crash happened between Livermore and Virginia Dale, Colo., at the intersection of Highway 287 and Red Mountain Road, according to reports from the Colorado State Patrol. Initial indications are that the driver swerved and the vehicle went off the road, rolling multiple times. The accident is under investigation.

"We are heartsick at the news of this terrible tragedy for our university, our state, our student-athlete community and, most importantly, the families and friends of these young people," UW President Ed Seidel says. "Words are insufficient to express our sadness."

"My thoughts and prayers are with our swimming and diving student-athletes, coaches, families and friends," UW Director of Athletics Tom Burman says. "It is difficult to lose members of our University of Wyoming family, and we mourn the loss of these student-athletes. We have counseling services available to our student-athletes and coaches in our time of need."

Other UW students in need of support are encouraged to contact the University Counseling Center at (307) 766-2187. The Counseling Center is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and is prepared to support students. Students can also call an after-hours crisis counselor at (307) 766-8989.

The Dean of Students Office, (307) 766-3296, is available for any well-being support or academic assistance students may need.

UW employees may seek assistance through the Employee Assistance Program -- specifically, MINES &amp; Associates, at 1-800-873-7138.

University of Wyoming Athletics is making counseling resources available for its student-athletes and staff through:

• Interim Director of Student-Athlete Well-Being, Rachel Amity

• Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Well-Being, Tedder Easton

Press release by University of WyomingLARAMIE, Wyo. (Feb. 22, 2024) - Three members of the University of Wyoming swimming and diving team died in a single-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 287 about 10 miles south of the Wyoming-Colorado border Thursday afternoon.The university is not releasing their names until next of kin are notified.Two other members of the men's swimming and diving team were injured in the crash. Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.The crash happened between Livermore and Virginia Dale, Colo., at the intersection of Highway 287 and Red Mountain Road, according to reports from the Colorado State Patrol. Initial indications are that the driver swerved and the vehicle went off the road, rolling multiple times. The accident is under investigation."We are heartsick at the news of this terrible tragedy for our university, our state, our student-athlete community and, most importantly, the families and friends of these young people," UW President Ed Seidel says. "Words are insufficient to express our sadness.""My thoughts and prayers are with our swimming and diving student-athletes, coaches, families and friends," UW Director of Athletics Tom Burman says. "It is difficult to lose members of our University of Wyoming family, and we mourn the loss of these student-athletes. We have counseling services available to our student-athletes and coaches in our time of need."Other UW students in need of support are encouraged to contact the University Counseling Center at (307) 766-2187. The Counseling Center is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and is prepared to support students. Students can also call an after-hours crisis counselor at (307) 766-8989.The Dean of Students Office, (307) 766-3296, is available for any well-being support or academic assistance students may need.UW employees may seek assistance through the Employee Assistance Program -- specifically, MINES &amp; Associates, at 1-800-873-7138.University of Wyoming Athletics is making counseling resources available for its student-athletes and staff through:• Interim Director of Student-Athlete Well-Being, Rachel Amity• Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Well-Being, Tedder Easton

Members of Wyoming Swim team killed in accident

Paul Hammel,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/02/21/actors-producers-and-screenwriters-testify-for-bill-to-lure-movie-tv-productions-to-nebraska/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — State lawmakers adjourned floor debate for the day Tuesday without voting on a bill to phase out Nebraska’s inheritance tax, but it was clear that more work is needed on the measure.

State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, who has made&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/02/08/senator-makes-another-attempt-to-repeal-nebraskas-inheritance-taxes/">eliminating the “death tax”</a>&nbsp;a top priority during his legislative career, acknowledged that some changes may be needed in his Legislative Bill 1067 before it can be passed.

One cosponsor of the measure, North Platte Sen. Mike Jacobson, said he couldn’t ultimately support the bill unless it includes ways to replace the funding lost by Nebraska counties from repeal of the tax.

Jacobson, as well as the Nebraska Association of County Officials, argue that repealing the inheritance tax — which provides up to $100 million a year in funding for the state’s counties — would result in a property tax increase.

“There’s one thing I hate more than inheritance tax, and that’s property tax,” Jacobson said.

Jon Cannon, the executive director of NACO, has estimated that property taxes levied by the counties would have to rise by 11% to offset the funds lost.

Clements said he has been seeking replacement revenue for the counties but also has faith that county commissioners can make needed adjustments during the five-year phase-out of the inheritance tax called for in his bill.

LB 1067, as currently written, contains two new funding sources for counties, allowing them to access lodging tax revenue now used to promote and expand tourism sites, and reimbursing counties for housing state inmates in their jails.

An amendment pending on the bill would limit the use of the tourism funds to 50% of what a county collects and would increase the jail reimbursement from $35 a day to $100 a day.

But Jacobson and others questioned whether that was enough to avoid a rise in property taxes. And Jacobson said the tourism funds should be used for tourism only.

Clements said after the debate that he might support using revenue from the documentary stamp tax, which is charged on the purchase of real estate, to help replace the revenue lost.

During floor debate Tuesday morning, the senator said Nebraska is an outlier in charging an inheritance tax, which he called “arbitrary and excessive” and tough on grieving families and friends.

Nebraska is one of only six states with an inheritance tax, and one of those, Iowa, will phase out its “death tax” at the end of the year.

The bill has 24 cosponsors among the 49 state senators, but it faces some legislative hurdles: a motion to divide the question into two parts from Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad and motions to kill the bill or recommit it to a committee from Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh.

Clements said that repealing the inheritance tax would be a step toward improving Nebraska’s tax system and that ending it would remove a reason for those nearing retirement to move away, so their heirs don’t have to pay the tax.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708703335793.png" alt=" State Sen. Robert Clements of Elmwood asks a question regarding nuclear energy during a hearing Oct. 27, 2023, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> State Sen. Robert Clements of Elmwood asks a question regarding nuclear energy during a hearing Oct. 27, 2023, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/02/21/actors-producers-and-screenwriters-testify-for-bill-to-lure-movie-tv-productions-to-nebraska/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — State lawmakers adjourned floor debate for the day Tuesday without voting on a bill to phase out Nebraska’s inheritance tax, but it was clear that more work is needed on the measure.State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, who has made&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/02/08/senator-makes-another-attempt-to-repeal-nebraskas-inheritance-taxes/">eliminating the “death tax”</a>&nbsp;a top priority during his legislative career, acknowledged that some changes may be needed in his Legislative Bill 1067 before it can be passed.One cosponsor of the measure, North Platte Sen. Mike Jacobson, said he couldn’t ultimately support the bill unless it includes ways to replace the funding lost by Nebraska counties from repeal of the tax.<h2>Foes say it will raise property taxes</h2>Jacobson, as well as the Nebraska Association of County Officials, argue that repealing the inheritance tax — which provides up to $100 million a year in funding for the state’s counties — would result in a property tax increase.“There’s one thing I hate more than inheritance tax, and that’s property tax,” Jacobson said.Jon Cannon, the executive director of NACO, has estimated that property taxes levied by the counties would have to rise by 11% to offset the funds lost.Clements said he has been seeking replacement revenue for the counties but also has faith that county commissioners can make needed adjustments during the five-year phase-out of the inheritance tax called for in his bill.LB 1067, as currently written, contains two new funding sources for counties, allowing them to access lodging tax revenue now used to promote and expand tourism sites, and reimbursing counties for housing state inmates in their jails.An amendment pending on the bill would limit the use of the tourism funds to 50% of what a county collects and would increase the jail reimbursement from $35 a day to $100 a day.But Jacobson and others questioned whether that was enough to avoid a rise in property taxes. And Jacobson said the tourism funds should be used for tourism only.Clements said after the debate that he might support using revenue from the documentary stamp tax, which is charged on the purchase of real estate, to help replace the revenue lost.<h2>‘Arbitrary and excessive’ tax</h2>During floor debate Tuesday morning, the senator said Nebraska is an outlier in charging an inheritance tax, which he called “arbitrary and excessive” and tough on grieving families and friends.Nebraska is one of only six states with an inheritance tax, and one of those, Iowa, will phase out its “death tax” at the end of the year.The bill has 24 cosponsors among the 49 state senators, but it faces some legislative hurdles: a motion to divide the question into two parts from Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad and motions to kill the bill or recommit it to a committee from Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh.Clements said that repealing the inheritance tax would be a step toward improving Nebraska’s tax system and that ending it would remove a reason for those nearing retirement to move away, so their heirs don’t have to pay the tax.

More work ahead for bill that would phase out Nebraska’s inheritance tax

WASHINGTON —U.S. Senator Josh Hawley&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14484.8907941.7835626.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=http%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fsites%2fdefault%2ffiles%2f2024-02%2fHawley-Letter-to-Kanter-re-Capital-One-Discover-Merger.pdf&amp;redir_log=537906950005781" target="_blank">sent a letter</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;Department of Justice (DOJ) Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division Jonathan Kanter, urging him to&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14484.8907941.7835626.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.axios.com%2f2024%2f02%2f21%2fsenate-republican-biden-block-credit-card-company-merger-hawley&amp;redir_log=303018207592664" target="_blank">block the merger</a>&nbsp;between Capital One and&nbsp;Discover Financial Services, according to a media release from his office.

On Tuesday, Capital One Financial said it will buy Discover Financial Services for $35 billion, in a deal that would bring together two of the nation's credit card companies as well as potentially shake up the payments industry, which is largely dominated by Visa and Mastercard

"This is destructive corporate consolidation at its starkest. If consummated, this merger will create a new juggernaut in the credit card market, with unprecedented powers to extort American consumers. That cannot be allowed to happen,"&nbsp;wrote Senator Hawley.

On Thursday, Senator Hawley&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14484.8907941.7835626.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fx.com%2fHawleyMO%2fstatus%2f1760327925688103140%3fs%3d20&amp;redir_log=655175228123316" target="_blank">condemned</a>&nbsp;the Capital One-Discover merger and&nbsp;also&nbsp;renewed his push&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14484.8907941.7835626.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2farticles%2f2023%2f09%2f11%2fsen_josh_hawley_proposes_18_credit_card_interest_rate_cap__149739.html&amp;redir_log=585672325765853" target="_blank">cap credit card interest rates</a>&nbsp;at 18 percent to provide relief for&nbsp;working Americans.

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14484.8907941.7835626.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=http%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fsites%2fdefault%2ffiles%2f2024-02%2fHawley-Letter-to-Kanter-re-Capital-One-Discover-Merger.pdf&amp;redir_log=537906950005781" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;to read the full letter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708426424767.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —U.S. Senator Josh Hawley&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14484.8907941.7835626.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=http%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fsites%2fdefault%2ffiles%2f2024-02%2fHawley-Letter-to-Kanter-re-Capital-One-Discover-Merger.pdf&amp;redir_log=537906950005781" target="_blank">sent a letter</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;Department of Justice (DOJ) Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division Jonathan Kanter, urging him to&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14484.8907941.7835626.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.axios.com%2f2024%2f02%2f21%2fsenate-republican-biden-block-credit-card-company-merger-hawley&amp;redir_log=303018207592664" target="_blank">block the merger</a>&nbsp;between Capital One and&nbsp;Discover Financial Services, according to a media release from his office.On Tuesday, Capital One Financial said it will buy Discover Financial Services for $35 billion, in a deal that would bring together two of the nation's credit card companies as well as potentially shake up the payments industry, which is largely dominated by Visa and Mastercard"This is destructive corporate consolidation at its starkest. If consummated, this merger will create a new juggernaut in the credit card market, with unprecedented powers to extort American consumers. That cannot be allowed to happen,"&nbsp;wrote Senator Hawley.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708693800430.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>On Thursday, Senator Hawley&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14484.8907941.7835626.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fx.com%2fHawleyMO%2fstatus%2f1760327925688103140%3fs%3d20&amp;redir_log=655175228123316" target="_blank">condemned</a>&nbsp;the Capital One-Discover merger and&nbsp;also&nbsp;renewed his push&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14484.8907941.7835626.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2farticles%2f2023%2f09%2f11%2fsen_josh_hawley_proposes_18_credit_card_interest_rate_cap__149739.html&amp;redir_log=585672325765853" target="_blank">cap credit card interest rates</a>&nbsp;at 18 percent to provide relief for&nbsp;working Americans.Click&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14484.8907941.7835626.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=http%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fsites%2fdefault%2ffiles%2f2024-02%2fHawley-Letter-to-Kanter-re-Capital-One-Discover-Merger.pdf&amp;redir_log=537906950005781" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;to read the full letter.

Missouri Senator demands Biden block Capitol One, Discover card merger

KANSAS CITY (AP) —AT&amp;T said the hourslong outage to its U.S. cellphone network Thursday appeared to be the result of a technical error, not a malicious attack.

The outage&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/att-outage-cell-service-phone-1cd6f595356b385cc9a4495d1f06b983">knocked out cellphone service</a>&nbsp;for thousands of its users across the U.S. starting early Thursday before it was restored.

AT&amp;T blamed the incident on an error in coding, without elaborating.

“Based on our initial review, we believe that today’s outage was caused by the application and execution of an incorrect process used as we were expanding our network, not a cyber attack,” the Dallas-based company said.

Outage tracker Downdetector noted that outages, which began at about 3:30 a.m. ET, peaked at around 73,000 reported incidents. AT&amp;T had more than 58,000 outages around noon ET, in locations including Houston, Atlanta and Chicago. The carrier is the country's largest, with more than 240 million subscribers.

By 9 p.m. ET, the reports on AT&amp;T's network were fewer than 1,000.

Cricket Wireless, which is owned by AT&amp;T, had more than 9,000 outages at one point but the reports had also tailed off later in the afternoon. Users of other carriers, including Verizon and T-Mobile, also reported issues but those companies said their networks were operating normally and the problems were likely stemming from customers trying to connect to AT&amp;T users.

During the outage, some iPhone users saw SOS messages displayed in the status bar on their cellphones. The message indicates that the device is having trouble connecting to their cellular provider’s network, but it can make emergency calls through other carrier networks, according to Apple Support.

The Federal Communications Commission contacted AT&amp;T about the outage and the Department of Homeland Security and FBI were also looking into it, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

The FBI acknowledged it had been in touch with AT&amp;T. “Should we learn of any malicious activity we will respond accordingly,” the agency said.

The outage also raised concerns on Capitol Hill.

“We are working to assess today’s disruption in order to gain a complete understanding of what went wrong and what can be done to prevent future incidents like this from occurring,” said a statement issued by Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Washington Republican who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Ohio Republican Bob Latta, chair of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708656334580.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —AT&amp;T said the hourslong outage to its U.S. cellphone network Thursday appeared to be the result of a technical error, not a malicious attack.The outage&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/att-outage-cell-service-phone-1cd6f595356b385cc9a4495d1f06b983">knocked out cellphone service</a>&nbsp;for thousands of its users across the U.S. starting early Thursday before it was restored.AT&amp;T blamed the incident on an error in coding, without elaborating.“Based on our initial review, we believe that today’s outage was caused by the application and execution of an incorrect process used as we were expanding our network, not a cyber attack,” the Dallas-based company said.Outage tracker Downdetector noted that outages, which began at about 3:30 a.m. ET, peaked at around 73,000 reported incidents. AT&amp;T had more than 58,000 outages around noon ET, in locations including Houston, Atlanta and Chicago. The carrier is the country's largest, with more than 240 million subscribers.By 9 p.m. ET, the reports on AT&amp;T's network were fewer than 1,000.Cricket Wireless, which is owned by AT&amp;T, had more than 9,000 outages at one point but the reports had also tailed off later in the afternoon. Users of other carriers, including Verizon and T-Mobile, also reported issues but those companies said their networks were operating normally and the problems were likely stemming from customers trying to connect to AT&amp;T users.During the outage, some iPhone users saw SOS messages displayed in the status bar on their cellphones. The message indicates that the device is having trouble connecting to their cellular provider’s network, but it can make emergency calls through other carrier networks, according to Apple Support.The Federal Communications Commission contacted AT&amp;T about the outage and the Department of Homeland Security and FBI were also looking into it, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.The FBI acknowledged it had been in touch with AT&amp;T. “Should we learn of any malicious activity we will respond accordingly,” the agency said.The outage also raised concerns on Capitol Hill.“We are working to assess today’s disruption in order to gain a complete understanding of what went wrong and what can be done to prevent future incidents like this from occurring,” said a statement issued by Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Washington Republican who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Ohio Republican Bob Latta, chair of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee.

AT&T reveals cause of outage to its US cellphone network

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Four foreign nationals were arrested and charged Thursday with transporting suspected Iranian-made weapons on a vessel intercepted by U.S. naval forces in the Arabian Sea last month. Two Navy SEALs died during the mission.

The criminal complaint unsealed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Richmond alleges that the four defendants — who were all carrying Pakistani identification cards — were transporting suspected Iranian-made missile components for the type of weapons used by Houthi rebel forces in recent attacks.

“The flow of missiles and other advanced weaponry from Iran to Houthi rebel forces in Yemen threatens the people and interests of America and our partners in the region,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a news release.

U.S. officials said that Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers was boarding the boat on Jan. 11 and slipped into the gap created by high waves between the vessel and the SEALs’ combatant craft. As Chambers fell, Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram jumped in to try to save him, according to U.S. officials familiar with what happened.

“Two Navy SEALs tragically lost their lives in the operation that thwarted the defendants charged today from allegedly smuggling Iranian-made weapons that the Houthis could have used to target American forces and threaten freedom of navigation and a vital artery for commerce," Monaco said.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland pledged that the Justice Department “will use every legal authority to hold accountable those who facilitate the flow of weapons from Iran to Houthi rebel forces, Hamas, and other groups that endanger the security of the United States and our allies.”

Muhammad Pahlawan is charged with attempting to smuggle advanced missile components, including a warhead he is accused of knowing would be used by the Houthi rebels against commercial and naval vessels in the Red Sea and surrounding waters. He is also charged with providing false information to U.S. Coast Guard officers during the boarding of the vessel.

Pahlawan's co-defendants — Mohammad Mazhar, Ghufran Ullah and Izhar Muhammad — were also charged with providing false information.

Pahlawan's attorney, Assistant Supervisory Federal Public Defender Amy Austin, said Pahlawan had an initial appearance in U.S. District Court Thursday and is scheduled to be back in court Tuesday for a detention hearing. She declined to comment on the case.

“Right now, he’s just charged with two crimes and we’re just at the very beginning stages, and so all we know is what’s in the complaint,” Austin said when reached by phone Thursday.

According to prosecutors, Navy forces boarded a small, unflagged vessel, described as a dhow, and encountered 14 people on the ship on the night of Jan. 11, in the Arabian Sea off the Somali coast.

Navy forces searched the dhow and found what prosecutors say was Iranian-made weapons, including components for medium range ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles.

All 14 sailors on the dhow were brought onto the USS Lewis B. Puller after Navy forces determined the dhow was not seaworthy. They were then brought back to Virginia, where criminal charges were filed against four and material witness warrants were filed against the other 10.

According to an FBI affidavit, Navy forces were entitled to board the ship because they were conducting an authorized “flag verification” to determine the country where the dhow was registered.

The dhow was determined to be flying without a flag and was therefore deemed a “vessel without nationality” that was subject to U.S. law, the affidavit states.

According to the affidavit, the sailors on the dhow admitted they had departed from Iran, although at least one of the men initially insisted they departed from Pakistan.

The affidavit states that crew members had been in contact multiple times by satellite phone with a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708640107835.png" alt="Photo of some of the weapons seized- U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo of some of the weapons seized- U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Four foreign nationals were arrested and charged Thursday with transporting suspected Iranian-made weapons on a vessel intercepted by U.S. naval forces in the Arabian Sea last month. Two Navy SEALs died during the mission.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705958979801.png" alt="Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers -photo Department of Defense" />
 <figcaption>Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers -photo Department of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>The criminal complaint unsealed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Richmond alleges that the four defendants — who were all carrying Pakistani identification cards — were transporting suspected Iranian-made missile components for the type of weapons used by Houthi rebel forces in recent attacks.“The flow of missiles and other advanced weaponry from Iran to Houthi rebel forces in Yemen threatens the people and interests of America and our partners in the region,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a news release.U.S. officials said that Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers was boarding the boat on Jan. 11 and slipped into the gap created by high waves between the vessel and the SEALs’ combatant craft. As Chambers fell, Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram jumped in to try to save him, according to U.S. officials familiar with what happened.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705959010427.png" alt="Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram-photo Dept. of Defense" />
 <figcaption>Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram-photo Dept. of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>“Two Navy SEALs tragically lost their lives in the operation that thwarted the defendants charged today from allegedly smuggling Iranian-made weapons that the Houthis could have used to target American forces and threaten freedom of navigation and a vital artery for commerce," Monaco said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708640156659.png" alt="The U.S. Navy ultimately sank the ship carrying the weapons after deeming it unsafe, Central Command said. The ship's 14 crew were detained. -photo U.S. Central command" />
 <figcaption>The U.S. Navy ultimately sank the ship carrying the weapons after deeming it unsafe, Central Command said. The ship's 14 crew were detained. -photo U.S. Central command</figcaption>
 </figure>Attorney General Merrick B. Garland pledged that the Justice Department “will use every legal authority to hold accountable those who facilitate the flow of weapons from Iran to Houthi rebel forces, Hamas, and other groups that endanger the security of the United States and our allies.”Muhammad Pahlawan is charged with attempting to smuggle advanced missile components, including a warhead he is accused of knowing would be used by the Houthi rebels against commercial and naval vessels in the Red Sea and surrounding waters. He is also charged with providing false information to U.S. Coast Guard officers during the boarding of the vessel.Pahlawan's co-defendants — Mohammad Mazhar, Ghufran Ullah and Izhar Muhammad — were also charged with providing false information.Pahlawan's attorney, Assistant Supervisory Federal Public Defender Amy Austin, said Pahlawan had an initial appearance in U.S. District Court Thursday and is scheduled to be back in court Tuesday for a detention hearing. She declined to comment on the case.“Right now, he’s just charged with two crimes and we’re just at the very beginning stages, and so all we know is what’s in the complaint,” Austin said when reached by phone Thursday.According to prosecutors, Navy forces boarded a small, unflagged vessel, described as a dhow, and encountered 14 people on the ship on the night of Jan. 11, in the Arabian Sea off the Somali coast.Navy forces searched the dhow and found what prosecutors say was Iranian-made weapons, including components for medium range ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles.All 14 sailors on the dhow were brought onto the USS Lewis B. Puller after Navy forces determined the dhow was not seaworthy. They were then brought back to Virginia, where criminal charges were filed against four and material witness warrants were filed against the other 10.According to an FBI affidavit, Navy forces were entitled to board the ship because they were conducting an authorized “flag verification” to determine the country where the dhow was registered.The dhow was determined to be flying without a flag and was therefore deemed a “vessel without nationality” that was subject to U.S. law, the affidavit states.According to the affidavit, the sailors on the dhow admitted they had departed from Iran, although at least one of the men initially insisted they departed from Pakistan.The affidavit states that crew members had been in contact multiple times by satellite phone with a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

2 U.S. Navy SEALs died; 4 now charged in transporting Iranian-made weapons

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A private lander touched down on the moon Thursday but managed just a weak signal back, as flight controllers scrambled to gain better contact with the first U.S. spacecraft to reach the lunar surface in more than 50 years.

Despite the spotty communication, Intuitive Machines, the company that built and managed the craft, confirmed that it had landed. There was no immediate word from the company on the condition — or even the exact location — of the lander. The company ended its live webcast soon after confirming a touchdown.

(click below to watch a replay of the landing)

Mission director Tim Crain said the team was evaluating how to refine the lone signal from the lander, named Odysseus.

“But we can confirm, without a doubt, that our equipment is on the surface of the moon," he said.

Added Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus: “I know this was a nail-biter, but we are on the surface and we are transmitting. Welcome to the moon.”

The landing put the U.S. back on the surface for the first time since NASA’s famed Apollo moonwalkers.

Intuitive Machines also became the first private business to pull off a lunar landing, a feat achieved by only five countries. Another company gave it a shot last month, but never made it to the moon, and the lander crashed back to Earth.

Odysseus descended from a moon-skimming orbit and guided itself toward the surface, searching for a relatively flat spot among all the cliffs and craters near the south pole.

Tension mounted in the company's Houston command center following the designated touchdown time, as controllers awaited a signal from the spacecraft some 250,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) away. After close to 15 minutes, the company announced it had received a weak signal from the lander.

Launched last week, the six-footed carbon fiber and titanium lander — towering 14 feet (4.3 meters) — carried six experiments for NASA. The space agency gave the company $118 million to build and fly the lander, part of its effort to commercialize lunar deliveries ahead of the planned return of astronauts in a few years.

Intuitive Machines' entry is the latest in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/moon-landing-private-company-fed3a76d25c9f68cf20d2b6efd48b593">series of landing attempts</a>&nbsp;by countries and private outfits looking to explore the moon and, if possible, capitalize on it.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-moon-lander-slim-probe-pinpoint-2908c74d9e3c4c8a5eabfb6b1625c617">Japan scored a lunar landing</a>&nbsp;last month, joining earlier triumphs by Russia, U.S., China and India.

The U.S. bowed out of the lunar landscape in 1972 after NASA's Apollo program put 12 astronauts on the surface. A Pittsburgh company, Astrobotic Technology, gave it a shot last month, but was derailed by a fuel leak that resulted in the lander plunging back through Earth's atmosphere and burning up.

Intuitive Machines’ target was 186 miles (300 kilometers) shy of the south pole, around 80 degrees latitude and closer to the pole than any other spacecraft has come. The site is relatively flat, but surrounded by boulders, hills, cliffs and craters that could hold frozen water, a big part of the allure. The lander was programmed to pick, in real time, the safest spot near the so-called Malapert A crater.

The solar-powered lander was intended to operate for a week, until the long lunar night.

Besides NASA’s tech and navigation experiments, Intuitive Machines sold space on the lander to Columbia Sportswear to fly its newest insulating jacket fabric; sculptor Jeff Koons for 125 mini moon figurines; and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for a set of cameras to capture pictures of the descending lander.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A private lunar lander circled the moon while aiming for a touchdown Thursday that would put the U.S. back on the surface for the first time since NASA’s famed Apollo moonwalkers.

The Intuitive Machines lunar lander is now scheduled for landing on the surface of the moon at approximately 5:24pm CST

Intuitive Machines was striving to become the first private business to successfully pull off a lunar landing, a feat achieved by only five countries. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/moon-landing-spacecraft-reenter-burned-e7abeeac01711633eaa807b050704084">rival company’s lander missed</a>&nbsp;the moon last month.

The newest lander, named Odysseus, reached the moon Wednesday, six days after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/moon-lander-launch-intuitive-machines-nasa-84092096eadf1ec5bb4042c945cdec7e">rocketing from Kennedy Space Center in Florida</a>. The lander maneuvered into a low lunar orbit in preparation for an early evening touchdown.

Flight controllers monitored the action unfolding some 250,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) away from a command center at company headquarters in Houston.

The six-footed carbon fiber and titanium lander — towering 14 feet (4.3 meters) — carried six experiments for NASA. The space agency gave the company $118 million to build and fly the lander, part of its effort to commercialize lunar deliveries ahead of the planned return of astronauts in a few years.

The U.S. bowed out of the lunar landscape in 1972 after NASA's Apollo program put 12 astronauts on the surface . A Pittsburgh company, Astrobotic Technology, gave it a shot last month, but was derailed by a fuel leak that resulted in the lander plunging back through Earth's atmosphere and burning up.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708646787215.png" alt="Member of the Intuitive Machines team celebrate the success Thursday evening" />
 <figcaption>Member of the Intuitive Machines team celebrate the success Thursday evening</figcaption>
 </figure>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A private lander touched down on the moon Thursday but managed just a weak signal back, as flight controllers scrambled to gain better contact with the first U.S. spacecraft to reach the lunar surface in more than 50 years.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">“Odysseus has a new home” <a href="https://t.co/oVgLobxH8T">https://t.co/oVgLobxH8T</a>&mdash; Intuitive Machines (@Int_Machines) <a href="https://twitter.com/Int_Machines/status/1760815975581016418?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Despite the spotty communication, Intuitive Machines, the company that built and managed the craft, confirmed that it had landed. There was no immediate word from the company on the condition — or even the exact location — of the lander. The company ended its live webcast soon after confirming a touchdown.(click below to watch a replay of the landing)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dg2ffigGcYM?si=faNrnj88EqV5Ek9W" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Mission director Tim Crain said the team was evaluating how to refine the lone signal from the lander, named Odysseus.“But we can confirm, without a doubt, that our equipment is on the surface of the moon," he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708649070409.png" alt="Moments before the landing was confirmed-image from NASA video" />
 <figcaption>Moments before the landing was confirmed-image from NASA video</figcaption>
 </figure>Added Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus: “I know this was a nail-biter, but we are on the surface and we are transmitting. Welcome to the moon.”The landing put the U.S. back on the surface for the first time since NASA’s famed Apollo moonwalkers.Intuitive Machines also became the first private business to pull off a lunar landing, a feat achieved by only five countries. Another company gave it a shot last month, but never made it to the moon, and the lander crashed back to Earth.Odysseus descended from a moon-skimming orbit and guided itself toward the surface, searching for a relatively flat spot among all the cliffs and craters near the south pole.Tension mounted in the company's Houston command center following the designated touchdown time, as controllers awaited a signal from the spacecraft some 250,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) away. After close to 15 minutes, the company announced it had received a weak signal from the lander.Launched last week, the six-footed carbon fiber and titanium lander — towering 14 feet (4.3 meters) — carried six experiments for NASA. The space agency gave the company $118 million to build and fly the lander, part of its effort to commercialize lunar deliveries ahead of the planned return of astronauts in a few years.Intuitive Machines' entry is the latest in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/moon-landing-private-company-fed3a76d25c9f68cf20d2b6efd48b593">series of landing attempts</a>&nbsp;by countries and private outfits looking to explore the moon and, if possible, capitalize on it.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-moon-lander-slim-probe-pinpoint-2908c74d9e3c4c8a5eabfb6b1625c617">Japan scored a lunar landing</a>&nbsp;last month, joining earlier triumphs by Russia, U.S., China and India.The U.S. bowed out of the lunar landscape in 1972 after NASA's Apollo program put 12 astronauts on the surface. A Pittsburgh company, Astrobotic Technology, gave it a shot last month, but was derailed by a fuel leak that resulted in the lander plunging back through Earth's atmosphere and burning up.Intuitive Machines’ target was 186 miles (300 kilometers) shy of the south pole, around 80 degrees latitude and closer to the pole than any other spacecraft has come. The site is relatively flat, but surrounded by boulders, hills, cliffs and craters that could hold frozen water, a big part of the allure. The lander was programmed to pick, in real time, the safest spot near the so-called Malapert A crater.The solar-powered lander was intended to operate for a week, until the long lunar night.Besides NASA’s tech and navigation experiments, Intuitive Machines sold space on the lander to Columbia Sportswear to fly its newest insulating jacket fabric; sculptor Jeff Koons for 125 mini moon figurines; and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for a set of cameras to capture pictures of the descending lander.------------<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708634893763.png" alt="This image provided by Intuitive Machines shows its Odysseus lunar lander over the near side of the moon following lunar orbit insertion on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024.&nbsp; (Click below to watch the coverage as long as it is available) " />
 <figcaption>This image provided by Intuitive Machines shows its Odysseus lunar lander over the near side of the moon following lunar orbit insertion on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024.&nbsp; (Click below to watch the coverage as long as it is available) </figcaption>
 </figure>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A private lunar lander circled the moon while aiming for a touchdown Thursday that would put the U.S. back on the surface for the first time since NASA’s famed Apollo moonwalkers.The Intuitive Machines lunar lander is now scheduled for landing on the surface of the moon at approximately 5:24pm CSTIntuitive Machines was striving to become the first private business to successfully pull off a lunar landing, a feat achieved by only five countries. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/moon-landing-spacecraft-reenter-burned-e7abeeac01711633eaa807b050704084">rival company’s lander missed</a>&nbsp;the moon last month.The newest lander, named Odysseus, reached the moon Wednesday, six days after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/moon-lander-launch-intuitive-machines-nasa-84092096eadf1ec5bb4042c945cdec7e">rocketing from Kennedy Space Center in Florida</a>. The lander maneuvered into a low lunar orbit in preparation for an early evening touchdown.Flight controllers monitored the action unfolding some 250,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) away from a command center at company headquarters in Houston.The six-footed carbon fiber and titanium lander — towering 14 feet (4.3 meters) — carried six experiments for NASA. The space agency gave the company $118 million to build and fly the lander, part of its effort to commercialize lunar deliveries ahead of the planned return of astronauts in a few years.Intuitive Machines' entry is the latest in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/moon-landing-private-company-fed3a76d25c9f68cf20d2b6efd48b593">series of landing attempts</a>&nbsp;by countries and private outfits looking to explore the moon and, if possible, capitalize on it.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-moon-lander-slim-probe-pinpoint-2908c74d9e3c4c8a5eabfb6b1625c617">Japan scored a lunar landing</a>&nbsp;last month, joining earlier triumphs by Russia, U.S., China and India.The U.S. bowed out of the lunar landscape in 1972 after NASA's Apollo program put 12 astronauts on the surface . A Pittsburgh company, Astrobotic Technology, gave it a shot last month, but was derailed by a fuel leak that resulted in the lander plunging back through Earth's atmosphere and burning up.Intuitive Machines’ target was 186 miles (300 kilometers) shy of the south pole, around 80 degrees latitude and closer to the pole than any other spacecraft has come. The site is relatively flat, but surrounded by boulders, hills, cliffs and craters that could hold frozen water, a big part of the allure. The lander was programmed to pick, in real time, the safest spot near the so-called Malapert A crater.The solar-powered lander was intended to operate for a week, until the long lunar night.Besides NASA’s tech and navigation experiments, Intuitive Machines sold space on the lander to Columbia Sportswear to fly its newest insulating jacket fabric; sculptor Jeff Koons for 125 mini moon figurines; and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for a set of cameras to capture pictures of the descending lander.___

🎥Success: First U.S. landing on the moon in a half century

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — America's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/casinos">commercial casinos</a>&nbsp;won $66.5 billion from gamblers in 2023, the industry's best year ever, according to figures released by its national trade association Tuesday.

The American Gaming Association said that total was 10% higher than in 2022, which itself was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-miller-las-vegas-atlantic-city-business-8a8dc7f64a4cf095736ee47a85815712">a record-setting year</a>.

When revenue figures from tribal-owned casinos are released separately later this year, they are expected to show that overall casino gambling brought in close to $110 billion to U.S. casino operators in 2023.

That all happened in a year in which inflation,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/off-charts-inflation-b37490a0a927b18509ec381e1985c29a">while receding</a>, still kept things like grocery and energy costs higher than they had been.

“From the traditional casino experience to online options, American adults’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gambling">demand for gaming</a>&nbsp;is at an all-time high,” said Bill Miller, the association's president and CEO.

Early last year, when the group gave its annual statistical assessment, “inflation was high, uncertainty was in the air. Forecasters couldn't agree what these challenges might do to discretionary income," Miller said.

As they year went on, “inflation began to cool, consumers began to spend and the (Federal Reserve) held rates steady,” he added. “The result was a record-breaking year for our industry.”

Not even the pre-holiday shopping crunch discouraged gamblers from laying their money down: casinos won $6.2 billion in December and $17.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023, both of which set records.

Jane Bokunewicz, director of the Lloyd Levenson Institute at New Jersey's Stockton University, which studies the gambling industry, said sports betting is still new enough that it may prove attractive even to those watching their budgets.

“As a form of entertainment, legal sports betting might be a new and novel experience for many patrons, and with its relatively low cost of entry, may be attractive to them even if their discretionary spending budget is limited,” she said.

In-person gambling remains the bread and butter of the industry. Slot machines brought in $35.51 billion in 2023, an increase of 3.8% from the previous year. Table games brought in $10.31 billion, up 3.5%.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sports-betting">Sports betting</a>&nbsp;generated $10.92 billion in revenue, up 44.5%. Americans legally wagered $119.84 billion on sports, up 27.8% from the previous year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708619455749.jpeg" alt="Gamblers play slot machines at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. on Nov. 29, 2023. Figures released on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, by the American Gaming Association show that the U.S. commercial casino industry had its best year ever in 2023, winning $66.5 billion from gamblers. When figures from tribal casinos are tallied later this year, the combined total is expected to approach $110 billion for 2023. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)" />
 <figcaption>Gamblers play slot machines at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. on Nov. 29, 2023. Figures released on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, by the American Gaming Association show that the U.S. commercial casino industry had its best year ever in 2023, winning $66.5 billion from gamblers. When figures from tribal casinos are tallied later this year, the combined total is expected to approach $110 billion for 2023. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — America's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/casinos">commercial casinos</a>&nbsp;won $66.5 billion from gamblers in 2023, the industry's best year ever, according to figures released by its national trade association Tuesday.The American Gaming Association said that total was 10% higher than in 2022, which itself was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-miller-las-vegas-atlantic-city-business-8a8dc7f64a4cf095736ee47a85815712">a record-setting year</a>.When revenue figures from tribal-owned casinos are released separately later this year, they are expected to show that overall casino gambling brought in close to $110 billion to U.S. casino operators in 2023.That all happened in a year in which inflation,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/off-charts-inflation-b37490a0a927b18509ec381e1985c29a">while receding</a>, still kept things like grocery and energy costs higher than they had been.“From the traditional casino experience to online options, American adults’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gambling">demand for gaming</a>&nbsp;is at an all-time high,” said Bill Miller, the association's president and CEO.Early last year, when the group gave its annual statistical assessment, “inflation was high, uncertainty was in the air. Forecasters couldn't agree what these challenges might do to discretionary income," Miller said.As they year went on, “inflation began to cool, consumers began to spend and the (Federal Reserve) held rates steady,” he added. “The result was a record-breaking year for our industry.”Not even the pre-holiday shopping crunch discouraged gamblers from laying their money down: casinos won $6.2 billion in December and $17.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023, both of which set records.Jane Bokunewicz, director of the Lloyd Levenson Institute at New Jersey's Stockton University, which studies the gambling industry, said sports betting is still new enough that it may prove attractive even to those watching their budgets.“As a form of entertainment, legal sports betting might be a new and novel experience for many patrons, and with its relatively low cost of entry, may be attractive to them even if their discretionary spending budget is limited,” she said.In-person gambling remains the bread and butter of the industry. Slot machines brought in $35.51 billion in 2023, an increase of 3.8% from the previous year. Table games brought in $10.31 billion, up 3.5%.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sports-betting">Sports betting</a>&nbsp;generated $10.92 billion in revenue, up 44.5%. Americans legally wagered $119.84 billion on sports, up 27.8% from the previous year.Five new sports betting markets that became operational in 2023 — Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska and Ohio — contributed to that and generated a combined $1.49 billion in revenue.By the end of the year, Massachusetts and Ohio established themselves among the country’s top 10 sports betting states by revenue, New Jersey and Illinois exceeded $1 billion in annual sports betting revenue for the first time, and New York topped all states with $1.69 billion.Internet gambling generated $6.17 billion, up 22.9%. While Michigan and New Jersey each generated $1.92 billion in annual internet gambling revenue, Michigan outperformed New Jersey by just $115,500 to become the largest internet gambling market in the country. Pennsylvania was third with $1.74 billion in annual revenue.Other states offering internet gambling are Connecticut, West Virginia and Delaware; Nevada offers online poker only.Casinos paid an estimated $14.42 billion in gambling taxes last year, up 9.7% from the previous year.Nevada remains the nation's top gambling market, with $15.5 billion in revenue. Pennsylvania is second at $5.86 billion, followed closely by Atlantic City at $5.77 billion.New York is fourth at $4.71 billion, followed by Michigan at $3.58 billion; Ohio at $3.31 billion; Indiana at $2.82 billion; Louisiana at $2.69 billion and Illinois at $2.52 billion.New York's Resorts World casino reclaimed the title as the top-performing U.S. casino outside Nevada. It was followed by MGM National Harbor near Washington, D.C., Encore Boston Harbor and Atlantic City's Borgata.Of the 35 states that have commercial casinos, 31 saw revenue increase last year.Jurisdictions where revenue declined were Florida (-0.4%); Indiana (-2.3%) and Mississippi (-3.5%). The sports betting-only market of Washington, D.C., had a more significant decline, with revenue trailing 2022 by 17.6%, the largest drop in the country.